Just Another Day in Paradise
by Timeloopy
Summary: Suliet fluff - Just a little happy fluff to make up for 'Just Like She Wanted' . . . There is a country song entitled 'Just another day in paradise'. . .this is like that. Sort of. Ficlet.


Juliet woke up with the baby nestled against her breast and smiled as she traced over his soft baby skin with her index finger. It always amazed her to open her eyes and find this tiny creature beside her – so small and warm and dependent on her. She leaned over and brushed her lips against his downy blonde hair and gently pulled her arm from around him – trying not to disturb his sleep.

"Never wake a sleeping baby," James said last night as they'd paced the floors with him after Juliet made the mistake of waking him up because they had visitors.

"That doesn't make sense. If he was sleepy then, he should be sleepy now," she snapped.

"Don't work that way, Blondie," James muttered. "You wake a sleeping baby, you end up paying for it later."

"What do you know about babies?" Juliet inquired with an eyebrow raised.

"Know enough not to wake up one that's sleeping peacefully just so you can show it off," he returned.

She glared at him over their son's head. He glared back before plopping down on the edge of the bed. The ivory wrought iron headboard banged against the pale robin's egg wall at the assault and the baby let out another cry.

"But not enough to be quiet so he can get back to sleep, I guess." Juliet had turned her back on him as she bounced the child up and down trying to simulate the pacing that he seemed to love.

"Let me have him a while. You're all tense – no wonder he's tense."

"I'm. Not. Tense." Juliet spoke between gritted teeth though she didn't look at James. She walked to the bookshelf that adorned one whole wall of the nursery – at least partly because until a few weeks before, it had been an office. Her eyes ran over the titles: _Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Anne of Green Gables, Charlotte's Web_. James had certainly sought out every children's title in the barracks and collected them here. She felt a hand on her shoulder and the muscles in her neck tightened even more if that were possible.

"In this together, remember?" James' voice was gentle and when he slipped his arms in under hers to cradle the baby, she relented and released his son to him.

She stretched her arms overhead and winced at the crackling in her neck. Okay. Maybe a little tense. Juliet watched as James lifted their child to his shoulder and began walking a circuit through their small home. A home that wasn't as big or as grand as either her childhood home or the one she'd shared with Edmund – but perhaps the first one that had truly felt like a home.

She followed James at a discreet distance. His bare feet made a faint slapping sound as they struck the hardwood and he never let up in the little sing-song chant with which he was attempting to lull their son back to slumber.

"That's a good boy. . .yeah, that's Daddy's little buddy. . .gonna go to sleep so you can grow big and strong. . .big and strong and smart. . .yeah, that's a good boy. . .go to sleep so Mama can get some rest too. . .sleepy sleepy. . .that's a good boy. . .that's Daddy's little man. . ."

The baby's eyes peered out over his father's shoulder wide awake and Juliet felt like laughing. Stubborn. Their child was unbelievably stubborn – how could he miss? With two parents as stubborn as they were.

James' soft drawl moved through the house with him – comforting and soothing Juliet even if it was having no effect on the little boy.

"You really don't mind taking a turn?" Juliet said with a yawn.

James eased the baby off his shoulder so that he could see his face.

"You're not going to sleep again. Are you?" He said to his son in resignation then to Juliet, "Go on to bed. I'll sleep in tomorrow – no place I gotta be I don't reckon."

As Juliet sank gratefully into the bed, she could hear James footsteps echoing through the quiet house. And her only response when her two fellows lay down beside her in the wee hours of the morning, was to snuggle against James and draw their son into her arms – sandwiched between the two people she loved most.

Now, in the early morning light, she slipped from the bed trying not to wake them. In the shower, she let the warm water stream over her swollen breasts – they ached – ready to feed the sleeping child. But she'd learned her lesson.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, letting the water pound against her face. It felt so good and then she felt a chill as the water stopped striking her body. But then she felt warmth again, as James wrapped his arms around her and cupped her face to kiss her good morning.

"Mmmm," she murmured. "Where's the night owl?"

James stepped away from her long enough to dip his head under the spray and wash away a little of the sleep from his eyes.

"In his crib," James said, his eyes taking in her naked form appreciatively. "Here." He said, taking the washcloth from her and turning her around. "Let me get your back."


End file.
